...Women and Higher Education in Iran Iranian women hold a high regard for education and they believe that obtaining a higher education will lead to financial independence and a higher social status. While the pursuit of a degree may appear to be the driving force behind their choice to attend college, there are other contributing factors. College provides an opportunity for young women to experience a limited form of independence and to intermingle with members of the opposite sex. College is the first public place where women come into contact with members of the opposite sex. “College in one place in Iran’s Islamic society that enables young men and women to interact, albeit surreptitiously.” (Shavarini 341) Relationships between men and women are highly guarded in Iran. Their society is heavily segregated by gender. Men and women who are not related may not have any contact. Young men and women are often stopped in public and asked to show proof that they are related. Those that have broken this rule may be detained, fined, and even punished. Because of this segregation many women feel that it is suffocating them. Girls have few choices after high school they are often forced to marry or go to college. Going to college will delay marriage for young girls by another four years. Attending a college or university allows them to escape their restrictive home environments and gives them a chance to be away from the scrutiny of their family and neighbors. “Young women were flocking...
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...that women are mistreated nowadays. “Afghanistan's propaganda war takes a new twist,” Anthony (2010). However, Blackburn, (2015), writes in her article “7 Remarkable Things About Khadija, Wife of the Prophet of Islam” that Muslim women enjoyed their freedom in the Islamic society. Islamic feminism existed 1,400 years ago. For example, the first Muslim woman is Khadija was the first woman that Prophet Mohammed (PBUH)...
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...way women live and are viewed by men in Iran has changed in so many ways throughout the end of the twentieth century leading into current day. Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was the last Shah of Iran and throughout his attempt to westernize his country he was overthrown by the Iranian Revolution, also known as the Islamic Revolution, on February 11th, 1979.[1] Religious rulers took over and influenced the Sharia Law, which are decisions on how to live life by studying religious texts. Ever since this change women have faced a struggle to survive in harsh conditions every day of their lives. Inequality between Iranian men and women is a major problem, even an issue due to the way women are viewed and through the eye of a man here.[2] The rights of women certainly have changed drastically since the start of the revolution, but still the daily life of an Iranian women without a doubt does not compare to that of a woman living in America.[3] Islamic women have tried to fight these discriminatory conditions, but these prevalent practices are in most cases required by the law. The laws that they are forced to go by are biased and in any outsiders opinion should be changed. After the revolution, Iran took a different turn from being a western influenced country to a being an Islamic fundamental government with strict rules led by the supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini. Since the overthrow of the monarchy in 1979 signs had appeared of Islamic fundamentalism. The laws that the women had gained...
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...of Women in Revolutionary Iran The Quran, Sura 4, verse 38 states, “Men are the managers of the affairs of women for that God has preferred in bounty one of them over another…and those you fear may be rebellious admonish; banish them to their couches, and beat them”. To develop and understand social change, it is crucial to examine the central structures and organizations within a given society. Through examining family structure, the state, and religion, geared with a specific focus on gender, a basic set of followed societal governing rules and values become apparent. Each of these societal structures are interrelated, working together to permit as well as restrict the agency of women in revolutionary Iranian society. For the development of successful social change to take place, it must arise through gender conflict, class conflict, and political action. Each social structure such as, family structure, state relations, and religion, is located within the larger context of a national structure, meaning the examples previously mentioned are subject to larger regional and global influences and changes. Due to this reasoning, it is important to examine evolving economic development and political change to understand women’s status within Iranian revolutionary societies and furthermore, their changing roles within the traditional family structure, Islam, education, and the work force. Through an analysis of class location, policy restructuring, and changing gender roles, the...
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...educate a woman; you educate a generation.” Women are the inherent part of our society and cannot be neglected due to their less power and authority. They are created as a companion for men and men have to make her walk with them in the course of life. As Pakistan is an Islamic state so Pakistani female’s role and behaviors are defined by Islamic laws and as such are given divine sanction. She plays roles as a mother, a sister, a daughter, a wife. They play their roles with great responsibilities in upbringing of a healthy solid society, but she is in our so called modern world, still living in chains. aThe basic unit of society is a woman. As woman makes a family, family makes a home and homes make a society. So we should never think that a society would come into existence without the contribution of women. We all know that without education, no development is possible. Here we have forgotten that the very first and best school of a child is its mother’s lap. A good healthy society doesn’t automatically emerge on its own and stands firm but it needs to be emerged and for its emergence women play a pivotal role. From behavioral to health education women have their hands in. it’s a woman who teaches how to behave, how to speak and how to deal with different classes of people. These all are the basic fundamentals of a good society and women are the main contributors in building up a strong society. aArabia, the origin of Islam, in pre-Islamic ages was wrapped all over by blanket of...
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...today. Worldwide, Muslims make up about 23.4 percent of the population, while Christianity makes up about 30 percent (Goodstein, 2011). A study published in 2009 by the Pew Research Center to get global concept of the Muslim population found, “Of the 232 countries and territories included in this study, 50 are Muslim-majority” (p. 5). The Center also found “While 80% of the world’s Muslims live in countries where Muslims are in the majority, significant numbers – about one-fifth of the world’s Muslim population – live as religious minorities in their home countries” (p. 7). With so many countries adhering to Islam and the growth of the Muslim population here in America and worldwide; how will this affect how non-Islamic countries communicate and interact with Islamic countries and how we communicate right here in the United States? If Muslim fundamentalists were not at the forefront of controversy in the war on terrorism, would Islam be a religion that sparks so much debate? Even before September 11th, there had been much controversy related to Islam. However most of it occurred on foreign soil. With significant bombings and terrorist attacks in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, many Americans were more fearful of travelling abroad, not realizing that such an attack could occur right here at home. Unfortunately it happened; and when it did, due to human nature, we have a propensity to over-generalize and draw conclusions based on the limitations of our ethnocentrism. Terrorists...
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...Gender has always played a fundamental role in the topic of religion. The type of faith that an individual chooses to embrace can ultimately identify the type of life they decide to live and molds them into the person that they become. Choosing to live by certain religious customs can - and often will - determine the clothes they wear, the people they surround themselves with, and certain ideas and activities that they practice. Within the vast range of different religions, each religious group creates either an equal balance between man and woman or strictly divides the two by demanding different life practices to abide by. Society oftentimes views religions that agree more strongly with the act of dominance and generate a sense of feminism. Many religions exercise supremacy over women while others ignore the overall essence of gender and instead practice equality. Islam and Buddhism are familiar religions that treat gender in somewhat similar yet distinct ways. For some religions, specifically Muslims, there has always been a sense of ridicule towards their Islamic society. Muslim women experience struggle and a continuous desire for acceptance within the world. People have come to conclusions that “eastern women, and especially Muslim women, are the most oppressed and downtrodden women on earth, and that although Islam may have something interesting to say on some level, it certainly has nothing to offer on the level of women’s role in society” (McCloud 211). This feeling...
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...The Islamic Revolution 1979 Has the Islamic Revolution in Iran subjugated woman? Subjugated past participle, past tense of sub·ju·gate (Verb) |Verb: | Bring under domination or | | |control, esp. by conquest. | | |Make someone or something subordinate | | |to. | | | | The Revolution Irans capital is Tehran and on January 19, 1979 it was in a state of mayhem. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Iran’s Shah (which means ruler or king) for four decades, fled the country during this state of revolt. Ayatollah Rebollah Khomeini worked for many years to overthrow Iran’s Shah and saw this as the perfect time to do so but he was in Paris during all of this. Regardless of where Ayatollah was at that moment, many people wanted him to overthrow the current Shah so millions of people went to the streets to cheer on his efforts. Ayatollah returned to Iran and replaced Mohammad the original Shah. He changed Iran’s secular government (separation of religion and government) to theocracy and had Islamic religious leaders called Mullahs to be the divine guidance. Woman lost what they previously gained socially They had to resort back to strict rules and regulations such as: Wearing Hijab and Chadors 1967 Family...
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...Women Before and After the Pahlavi Period In Iran Hashem Alshakhas December 11 2013 Table of Contents Section Page Introduction………………………………………………………….……………………..1 Rise of Reza and Muhammad Shah………………………………………….…….1 The first Pahlavi period- Reza Shah…...…………………………………….…….5 Modernization, unveiling and clash with the citizens…………………………5 The second Pahlavi period- Muhammad Shah…………………………..10 After The Islamic Revolution …………………………………………….14 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………..19 References…………………………………………………………………..21 Introduction It has been more than 30 years since the victorious Islamic revolution transpired and sought the citizen supported and the forceful death of the Pahlavi dynasty which was ruled, with a denied democracy, under Mohammed shah and his father, Reza shah who were both put forth by the British. Due to the controversial media’s coverage, its western influence and lack of justice, there remains a bitter taste in the mouth of feminists in regards to women’s rights under the newly born Islamic state. In this paper, I will be examining and shedding light on these issues, as well as comparing the current and past roles of women, the differences between the Islamic and Pahlavi imposed laws on these women all within the confines of the diverse domains of Iran, while taking...
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...and women separately, as distinct sexes, while others refer to the human species as such. The injunctions of Islam are meant for both men and women, both of whom have immortal souls, are held responsible for their actions in this world, and will be judged accordingly in the hereafter. The gates of both Heaven and hell as well as the intermediate purgatorial states are open to members of both sexes, and the injunctions of religion pertain to both men and women, who are equal before the Divine Law in this world and before God on the Day of Judgment.As far as the social and economic aspects of life are con-cerned, Islam sees the role of the two sexes in their complementarity rather than in their opposition. The role of women is seen primarily but not necessarily exclusively as preserving the family and bringing up the children and that of men as protecting the family and providing economically for it.The Quran, however, does not forbid women to engage in economic or even political life, and in certain sectors of even traditional Islamic society, such as agriculture, women have always participated in economic life on a par with men. Both men and women have, however, complete economic independence according to Islamic Law, and a woman can do what she wants with her wealth independent of her husband. What is especially emphasized is the central role of the family, which remains very strong to this day in Islamic countries despite the fact that divorce is not forbidden in Islamic Law...
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...Women in the Middle East 1. Introduction 2. Before Islam 3. After Islam 4. Marriage 5. Education 6. Modern Day -Examples from different Arab countries -Arab Spring 7. What’s next? 8. Citations 1. Introduction Over the course of history, women in the Middle East, not so much different than around the world, haven’t been attaining all their full rights and haven’t been quite satisfied with the status of gender equality that the world continues to lack. The Middle East has its more than enough share with this ever-continuing phenomenon. The situation changes with every passing day, as it is affected by our effervescently changing political and social status. Religion has played an enormous role in the matter, as did politics, economy, and social standards. Women’s rights have increased and decreased soon before it was satisfactory enough. This continues and will continue to happen until women find themselves satisfied in our men-driven society. In order for one to judge the current and possible future status, we must understand the past and how women’s rights evolved to become where it is right now. 2. Before Islam Women before the dawn of Islam had practically no legal status in opposition to the traditional and standard tribal laws. Their own fathers sold them to their husbands or legal guardians; they had no choice in the matter and could be left at anytime according to the spouse’s will. They had no private property or...
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...Saudi women’s education. As explained by feminist theory, women’s inequalities originate from the social structures and institutions that are dominated by men (Acker, 1987). In the context of Saudi Arabia, women have been treated with disrespect and consequently their values in the Islamic society are not acknowledged (Katz, 2013). The manipulation of conservative norms and traditions Saudi Arabia led to the origin of male dominance (Katz, 2013). The ideology that women do not deserve quality education is therefore preserved. However, it is important to note that the position of women in Saudi Arabia is not perpetuated by the Islamic religion but rather, self-driven motives that aim to subordinate women (Shukri, 1999). Due to the manipulation...
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...raise any questions in your mind? If so, share them with your group and try to find an answer From my perspective the article main point was based on equality between Muslim men and women. When reading the article I found it interesting when the author states, “We do not speak of ‘women’ in general and thus exclude her from the legal discourse describing a Muslim’s duties.” From my stand point, many individuals from the Western Countries believe Muslim women are excluded in many possessions like higher education, employment, and political actions but in reality they have equal rights just as men do. Hawa, I like your interpretation of the article and agree with you when you stated Islam does not discriminate women, and they have a God given rights that no one can deny. <<< Replied to message below >>> Authored by: Hawa Ali Authored on: Sep 30, 2013 8:55 PM Subject: Political Competence of Women in Islamic Law In this article, the author describes well the role of political participation of the women in Islam. There is no question that women took a big role in Islamic societies in the past and the present time. Beside, Islam does not discriminate women, and they have a God given rights that no one can deny them. When God created men, He did not favor them over the women. He says, “We have created you of male and female, and the most honored amongst you in the eyes of God is the one who heeds Him most.” When God created humans, He gave them a book...
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...Empowerment of Women in Africa Women play a key role in their support for their families and communities to achieve food, the role of income, improve rural livelihoods and attention to the family. They contribute to the agriculture and rural businesses and supporting the local economy and globally. Thus, a woman is an effective element in pursuit towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. However, every day woman facing in various parts of the world, continuing structural barriers prevent the full enjoyment of their human rights, and undermine their efforts to improve their lives and the lives of those around them. There are some elements leads to those situations for example education, economics, religion, culture and tradition. To begin with, The debate surrounding the impact of different facets of Africa’s triple heritage and as a result of traditional African religion, Christianity and Islam, a woman has been re-surged on the status of African. The role and place of Man in every religion is very well predetermined in the main religious of the world mostly Christianity and Islam however this role and place of woman leaves a lot to be desired. In most areas, low representation of women in politics and decision-making circles progress has been made in the field of political representation For women since 1995, and included Africa and large parts of Asia, where the cases appeared with a clear increase in the presence of women in parliaments. Rwanda has achieved...
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...S. Bradshaw MECS-101 WOMEN IN THE QUARAN One of the most misrepresented aspects of Islam is the rights and treatment afforded to women. The progression of women’s rights have never and will (in the foreseeable future), be limited as a Middle Eastern, or Islamic issue. The Islamic viewpoint of woman’s rights would be far from a feminist movement, but the Quran does have specific outlines regarding the rights and limitations of how females should be treated in an Islamic cultures. The timeline that surrounded revelation of the Surah An Nisa was not explicitly defined, but it is believed that after the Battle of Uhd there was a need for some guidance on the care of the widows and orphans that followed the conflict. Knowing that the prophet Mohammed was an orphan himself, and had four daughters, it is natural to believe that the role and statute of women were raised as a result of his influence. The Quran discusses several facets of the rights of women. The fact that women can be in line for any inheritance is a revelation to most. Passage 4:7 describes that a daughter can be in line to receive inheritance from her parents. A husband can pass an inheritance along to his wife, and in 4:176 is states that a woman can receive inheritance from her brother, if has no children. The ownership of property, wealth and the distribution of wealth is discussed at more length when it comes to the dowry that a man pays for the hand of a maiden in marriage. Verse 4:4 highlights...
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